Au revoir, America

Which do you think sounds less prétentieux? The South of France” or “the French Riviera?

In a few weeks, N and I are going to France together for the first time (other than an afternoon spent in Alsace last year). We’ll be dividing our time into 3 nights in Marseille and 4 nights in Nice. Hopefully there will be a day trip to Italy and sometime spent in Antibes.

I’m excited.

Admittedly, the anticipation is tempered by a bit of nervousness about the current state of travel processes and border crossings, but the reward of being out of this country is worth the stress.

The regression of society and civilization is occurring at a breathtaking pace.

I’m not sure if you know this but, I’ve wanted to visit Marseille ever since reading Rich Man, Poor Man and then watching the mini series* staring a smoking hot and young Nick Nolte. I don’t recall much of the plot, but he was the family’s black sheep who ended up in exile working the docks of Marseilles.

This port city has a gritty reputation, prompting comparison in my imagination to Napoli and Athens and NYC, three cities with a lot to love. Marseille is said to be diverse, and is known for its old port and the local specialty, bouillabaisse. Some claim it is dangerous, but I’ve learned that cities which have a large number of immigrants, including many with skin that isn’t white, often get labeled as such.

I’m looking forward to exploring it.

We’re hoping the weather will be springy, which translates to day time temperatures in the mid to high 60°s and, possibly, some rain. I’ve been honing my travel wardrobe and will definitely have a rain proof outer layer along for the trip.

At this point, our only commitments are dinner our first night at a place which was recommended to us and a walking tour of the city the next day. That leaves us with two open evenings and a day and half to wander before we catch a train to Nice.

Nice seems to have a lot of art and we definitely want to check out either the Chagall or the Matisse museum. If the weather is merde, maybe we’ll do both. As is the case for Marseille, our accommodations are in the vieux port and I can barely wait to get out early in the morning with my camera to capture whatever delights my eye.

Since we’ll have a little more time in this area, we intend to spend, at a minimum, an afternoon in Antibes and a full day in Italy, where we’re leaning to visiting Albegna. All options are open and we’ll play it by ear depending upon the weather and our energy levels. All travel will be via train or bus. Neither of us are all that interested in driving while on vacation – not when there’s wine at lunch.

So – have you been to this part of France? Do you have any suggestions or tips to share, mes amis? Please do with a comment!

*I was probably a bit precocious in my taking in of both of these works, at maybe 10 or 11 years-old?